Cats are the undisputed sleep champions of the animal world. Only one animal out-sleeps the cat, and that would be the slow-footed sloth, which sleeps an estimated 80 percent of its life. Although the number of hours a cat spends sleeping can vary considerably among individual felines, the average time spent in slumber is about 16 hours per day.
No one is quite sure why, but the solitary cat's lifestyle, punctuated by energy-draining bursts of hunting and playing, is thought to necessitate this form of energy conservation. It is believed that wild cats consume so much energy in taking down large prey, they tend to need more sleep than domestic cats. Female lions, the primary hunters of the species, have been known to rest or sleep as much as 20 hours a day!
So why do cats sleep so much? Well, it is thought that the cat's diet is a contributing factor to its ability to sleep so much. Large grazing prey need to feed for hours on end to get enough nutrition to survive and generally only have time to sleep four or five hours a day. The protein-rich meat diet of the feline, on the other hand, requires no such investment of time for daily sustenance. Instead of eating all day, the cat can stock up on sleep for its short, high-energy chases.
One thing all cats have in common is their unusual, yet adorable, sleeping positions! Thanks to our viewing audience, we were able to put together a short video of domestic and wild cats sleeping styles. Due to the large number of photos, we were unable to include the wonderful captions submitted with the photos—however, the photos truly speak for themselves! Whether it’s a cat finding comfort on a man’s shoulders, stealing our favorite blankets, curling up in our sinks when we need to get ready for work or taking over the doggies’s bed; cats have the unique way of taking over our lives—even when they are sleeping!
So enjoy the video and remember, even if your cat is sleeping, he's probably dreaming of you…
On a more solemn note, today is the day we remember Kenya, Vicky's beloved first tiger, who inspired "In-Sync Exotics." Today we remember her passing with love in our hearts. Tomorrow, we will celebrate her life in our blog. So stay tuned as we tell you all about the tiger who inspired a dream to come true.
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Oh, and as a reminder, don't forget to vote for us today in the Green Source DFW Environmental Awards! Voting ends tomorrow! All our napping cats thank you...
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